Rangers-Maple Leaves in review

1) The Leafs — is that the same team that played in the Winter Classic? — really put up zero resistance, and the Rangers sure appear to love playing against them. The Rangers, a team that can play with anybody if allowed to skate, allowed to use their speed, just sped right through the neutral zone all night, right through the Toronto Ole’ defense.

2) That said, you have to take what they give you, and if the Leafs were giving, the Rangers were taking, skating, feet moving from very early on when Chris Kreider backed them off, and Rick Nash followed up and backed them off some more, skating like he has very few times this season. Both of them were going, but who wasn’t? Ryan Callahan, much better in his second game. Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello of course, Carl Hagelin. All of them, really. I mean, give them credit for playing with some energy and some purpose. Just that, there was a completely different level of fight for ice than there was the night before in Pittsburgh.

3) … and yet another example of how mediocre the East is, and why this team is going to be in the middle of it down to the end.

4) I don’t mean to be a complete downer. Give the Rangers high marks for a much better effort, especially defensively in their own end, and in being committed to not turning over the puck repeatedly, as they did in Pittsburgh. Then again, Pittsburgh is a team against which you are forced to take care of pucks, forced to defend, and the Rangers didn’t do either.

5) Kreider. Ya gotta like when the kid went grill-to-grill with Dion Phaneuf (again) and then, as soon as play resumed, he absolutely flew up the left wing for a breath-taking goal (even though the defense, again, was non-existent). That kid must be dynamite during the 4-on-4 OT. Oh, wait. … But then he had to drop the gloves for the first time in the NHL, and while it was a wrestling match more than a fist-fight, high marks for him again. And, I’ve been telling you what a bear this kid is. He overpowered Phaneuf, a big and very strong man.

6) Cam Talbot. He had to make some big saves early, and he did, and he was solid throughout, even though at times he didn’t get much work. Can the Rangers have two rookie-of-the-year candidates? And, yes, this was a different game, and yes, the Rangers play better in front of him — in general terms, I think teams tend to be more defense-conscious in front of backup goalies — but Talbot has delivered, too, and given the guys in front of him some confidence. I think it’s silly to think he’s going to usurp Henrik Lundqvist as the No. 1. But Talbot has been the better goaltender to date.

7) The Rangers really, really have had a lot of deflection goals this season. Or is it just me? Two of the better changes under Alain Vigneault: the power play, and guys to the front. Not mutually exclusive.

8) Good for Dominic Moore, and for a lot of the guys who haven’t been getting in on the offense much, especially those who play a dirty game every night.

9) Has Benoit Pouliot really figured it out?

10) Do people really want to trade Michael Del Zotto for Jake Gardiner? Or anybody for Jake Gardiner? I mean, did you see that guy try to defend? I think we saw, too, why Nazem Kadri might be available.

11) I was going to lead with this, but the more I thought about it, the more insignificant this move for Daniel Carcillo seems to be. Part of my job is to have an opinion, and I always think it’s better to first-guess than second-guess. My first guess was that it was a mistake. Yeah, it’s almost no risk whatsoever (a seventh-round pick). And yeah, this clown will probably have a fight in his first game at the Garden and win over a bunch of fans. But to me, this is a guy who didn’t just step on the Rangers logo, he urinated on it. It’s like the Donald Brashear signing again, and you know what? If Brashear wasn’t such a washed-up has-been, he might have been accepted. To me, I wouldn’t want Carcillo on the roster if it was my team, and from what I’ve heard from you guys, you don’t want him either, not after that garbage he pulled with Marian Gaborik. …

12) But I will add this. I haven’t seen a lot of Carcillo since he left Philly. The few times I saw him with Chicago, he stunk. The only time this year I saw him with L.A., he stunk. He is one of those repeat offenders — so don’t cry about the Patrick Kaletas and Matt Cookes if you’re going to cheer for this guy — and he’s a bad penalty waiting to happen. So the penalty killers might get more ice time. The Rangers, who desperately need some anti-softness in their lineup, didn’t do this from the seat of their pants. They scouted the guy for a while, did some research on his persona and character. They thought it’s worth a shot. They should know better than I. We’ll see.

13) The irony of the whole thing is that it was the whole Carcillo-Gaborik event a few years back that forced the Rangers to toughen up, to get Brandon Prust in the Olli Jokinen trade, to man-up as a team. Carcillo’s disgusting mugging of Gaborik eventually made them the rugged, all-for-one team that slapped up 51 wins, 109 points and a trip to the Eastern finals in 2011-12.

Cacca Carcillo –hopefully, he’s not a Carcinoma for this team. Accurate observations Carp…saw a headline in the NY Times: *Great Lakes Brace for Carp*…hope you stay right here (except when reporting on Rangers vs. Detroit, Buffalo, Toronto, Chicago…) Another Sather special trade…read about these chemistry experiments with methanol gone awry with disastrous, tragic results? Let’s hope he stays off the ice, as some of you note.

Nice review Carp! Good bounce back from the debacle in Pittsburgh and like it or not, a 3-2 road trip…not bad!
Carp is right. However we may bash the GM and the coach, they are good and experienced hockey men and I am quite certain they did not grab Carcillo without a good deal of thought. This team needs to demonstrate that they will not tolerate anyone taking runs at our skill guys. I only wish someone had gone after that A-Hole Zack Sills on Friday night. He looked like Fedoryk out there taking runs at our guys and NO ONE responded. If Carcillo can add this dimension, it will be worth the price.
LGR!!!!!

Carp – Not to nitpick, but Gaborik was the guy who dropped the mitts first, after the two exchanged a couple of gloved punches. In fact, he had no business at all trying to tie up Carcillo, especially after he moved him away from the scrum. Was still lame what Carcillo did, but but that was a can of worms Gaborik smashed open.

And for what’s it worth, the Rangers should NOT trade Michael Del Zotto least of all for some bum from Toronto. Kadri is vastly overrated and Gardiner…please! It seems to me that when MDZ is in the lineup, the team plays better. Good, solid, homegrown guy who can skate, shoot and has a mean streak. If there is a personality conflict between AV and MDZ, it needs to be fixed. You don’t throw a guy like this away. The fact that the Rangers have hesitated in pulling the trigger on a trade indicates that they realize this.

_However we may bash the GM and the coach, they are good and experienced hockey men_
really? says who?

_t seems to me that when MDZ is in the lineup, the team plays better_
Umm…no they don’t play better unless they are playing the Loafs are some other non-physical team. MEZ does not like to be hit, period!

Great review Carp. I could not agree more with point #11. Sure this team needs some onions. but see if you can find a tough player who can play. I realize they don’t grow on trees, but do you have to right for one of the two or three bottom of barrel players in the league?

Do Sather and AV want so badly to build a team built on speed and skill that they would let their skill players (with the exception of Krieder) spend most of their shifts looking over their shoulders and trying to avoid being hit?

We have the WBM, the Nash-o-meter and maybe we need toughness rating, the Onion factor. If it was a One to Ten system with 10 being Milan Lucic and 1 being….Oh, what the heck: Rick Nash, we would have four, maybe five players at a 5 or better and one of them is a Hobbit.

Stranger, disagree. MDZ can take a hit and can certainly dish them out. And he has the speed to join the rush and be a credible offensive threat. Still remember the play he made in the 7th game against Washington when he dumped Ovechkin on his a**, passed the puck, joined the rush and buried the rebound which proved to be the winning goal.
His old man was a football player and I have no doubt he instilled that toughness into his son.
Keep Del Zotto!!

Good win, everyone contributed. Including Toronto. In fact, the Leaves was the main contributor. All you needed is to see that woman sitting right behind Randy Carlyle. Her facial expression was priceless.
Carp, right on the money about Jake Gardiner. I’ll keep MDZ, thank you. By the way, apparently goaltending has been the strongest part of Toronto’s season. I didn’t see it yesterday.
What I especially like is that this team can really kill you with their speed. It’s not only Kreider and Hagelin, it’s also Brassard, Pouliot, J. Moore, McD. Refreshing to see.

Do not underestimate this win, folks. Toronto, along with Detroit, are two teams that everyone pretty much penciled to win the wild card race, leaving only 3 spots for Metropolitan Division. I’m not so sure it won’t be 4 and 4 now.

On Carcillo. I really don’t want to talk about it too much. I’ll just say this: I root for everyone the very moment they start wearing NYR sweater. Always have. So far, I find it very difficult rooting for him. And that is an understatement.

Kenneth, all you do here is keep mocking people. You haven’t come up with anything of substance that could even remotely contribute to this blog. Unless you count your childish “Hanka Hanka” a contribution. If you it were up to me, you would last on this blog shorter than Carcillo will last in NY. Luckily for you, it isn’t up to me.

Hank n Boyle for JVR n one of their goalies. Then cut Richie. Trade Nash n Giardi for big Buff n Kane. More cap space a banger on D. More grit and scoring, plus gets us younger. Add to either package as you like. Shouldn’t be that hard to do.

The MoMA is awesome. Fun fact: if you have a SUNY college ID, admission to the MoMA is free. My ten year old college ID stays in my wallet forever, except now it’s my “get into the MoMA for free for life” card.

Also, last night was great for continuing to get my 2 year old into paying a little attention to hockey. She likes when they score and hug and I refuse to call her in to see a goal against so good guys 1st or early 2nd goals are awesome.

Booby, You mean Boyle wasn’t already exposed this year when Chara, Bieska beat the crap out of him? I thought he was exposed long ago with a bunch of ass kickings i’ve failed to mention. I think Redden was/is tougher than him.

from what I’ve been told, they don’t think Asham can do it anymore, and more importantly, that he doesn’t want to do it. … and I wouldn’t want to come up here and fight, either, knowing I’m going back down.

The D did not play that well in front of Talbot last night, though they have supported him well in the past. He made some great saves and is a superb backup goalie. Lucky to have him, credit to mgmt. for keeping him instead of the merely decent Biron. Still need Lundqvist to recover his consistency though if this team is going anywhere.

And, no, the Leafs did not look good at all last night, but for once the Rangers had something to do with that. And they didn’t need a bum like Carcillo to do it either. Wishful thinking on my part, to be sure, but I’d like to see that thing stay in the press box, with the forwards looking up to ask themselves, “I’m going to sit for that a—-le? Better hustle.” Then Hartford, then Worcester, where he’d be more appropriate for the audience.

Notice how all the Toronto Homers had a good game? Dom Moore, Nash, Girardi, DZ, Talbot…

Some of them were clearly savin that energy Friday Night so they could burn up Toronto in front of family and agents.

I don’t want to trade MDZ for Gardiner, per se, but it seems that is all they can get for him. And he is buds with Mac and Step.

What we really need is an actualized version of what McIllwraith should be. Mac ill Wrath. But DZ will not bring that return. I don’t think we are prying Byufuglien loose. But they might get a RH shot. Maybe Bogosian, Sarich, Klein or Sjustr. There is not a lot out there.

I would love to have JVR on this team, and I think he’d be a better fit with Nash and the K. So I would trade Stepan, and MDZ or some combo for him. I know it is blasphemy to some of you, but I would do that in a heartbeat. I think JVR is a significant upgrade to Stepan.

Won’t be any reaction from me other than, “Call me when it’s over.” I can’t stand watching that stuff any more, even between my fingers. If it’s Miller who has to give way, well, I can’t even begin to fathom that one.

Ken
Feel free to mock me all you want! If you have never been in a situation where others willingly put their physical well being on the line for you, then you do not and will not understand my previous comment so don’t waste anymore of your pretty little brain cells trying to figure it out!

I suspect you guys may be overreacting a bit to Carcillo. he will play in the type of games he is needed. I think it is good to have a reckless player on the Rangers. it will keep the other team honest.

Godwin’s Law Violation ahead, apologies in advance, as I note Boneheads everywhere gradually getting used to the idea of Carcolini being on the home team and then, as they lust for war, supporting him whole-heartedly before he even hits the ice. He and Sathler will distract the enemy, they dream — unlike the soft team that just waxed the Leafs — and lead us into the promised land, alternately supporting and purging teammates as we annex the Sudetenland and walk into the first round of the playoffs unopposed. He’s good for us! cry the Boneheads. Gaborik and Dubinsky were never true Rangers anyway. With Carcolini, we will rule hockey for a thousand seconds!

Carp – I’d rather Haley and Bickel get called up. Rangers must see something still in the tank. Clearly, even with a healthy Dorsett, something needed to be done in terms of toughness. The pens game exposed a marshmallow soft team….

Norm – given your fanboy love of Alysheba, as soft a player in the league, a horse with no bite, a guy who thinks a check is something that you cash, I figured you for someone that likes soft genteel sorts of things..

With all due respect to the 9-man group of experts who selected the US Olympic Squad, the goal The Kreider score was exactly why he should have been picked for the US team. World class, as in WORLD CLASS speed and burst that will keeps team honest and wary.

BTW, Bryan Burke is a boorish bully pig. His comments on Bobby Ryan were undignified and unnecessary and the equivalent of kicking a guy when he’s down. What an effing jerk.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/98325 Look at what Prust did to Carcillo over 3 years. What waste of a 7th round pick. Bring up Haley as an enforcer. Boy do I wish we still had Brandon; the epitome of a team player.

I don’t like Carcillo one bit, hate his type, would rather just use Haley, etc, etc … but he can play a little bit of hockey. Not much, certainly not enough to play in the league without his “toughness”, but a little. Two double digit goal seasons in his past.

I had heard that Haley was injured as well. It even raised my curiosity when Asham came up over him. I didn’t think he did too bad last season. he actually played with some sense and skated well. Guess we blacklist players and keep them buried in Hartford now.

though Islander fans will tell you Avery deliberately kneed DiPi in the head to concuss him and give him health issues. He was the epitome of health prior to that. And Cup bound. don’t forget Cup bound.

Are teams, under this current CBA, able to trade for players such as Richards and then use a compliance buyout on that player? Or does would team that originally signed him (the Rangers) be the only one allowed to use the buyout option?

Pardon me if this was already asked and addressed before, but I don’t always pay too close attention when it comes to contract talk.

Nobody has any problems with Dorsett, but have a lot of problem with the Carcillo trade. Carcillo takes stupid penalties? Yeah. Dorsett doesn’t? Dorsett sticks up for his teammates. Carcillo won’t? Carcillo is basically the same player. He’s a better fighter even though I put as much into that aspect as some others. And, he’s not a goon that can’t play. He’ll fit into the fourth line in place of Dorsett just fine. He’s in a contract year so he was only picked up to replace the injured Dorsett. People scream how easy it is to play against this team – that they are too soft. Well? Carcillo is the type of player you want. The only reason for all the negativity is because of the Gaborik incident. And, if you remember, it was Gaborik that dropped the gloves first.

Cap Geek – not disagreeing. I just think Tam is better this year and will continue to be better…,,David Duval, world number 1 ranked golfer, Pre Tiger’s ascent, still in his prime…..and POOF…..he fell faster than a bolder off a cliff…..

I think goons in todays NHL are a waste of a roster spot. the guys that are more valuable are the crazy ones, who can give cheap shots and not have to answer for it. Carcillo fits that mold. now if you get rid of the instigator rule, than goons can be helpful. to say any of them have integrity is not being realistic.

Carp: That just proves what I have felt all along. These national writers/commentators such as McKenzie reach a certain level and stop watching games. Too busy on the phone, texting or emailing and not watching tape.

Like I said before, as a USA hockey fan, I am rooting for Nash to make Team Canada.

Did you all know about this:http://mustbepop.net/ It’s a role playing game where people can pretend to be athletes or celebrities. Apparently half the Rangers ‘team’ is there, including Lundqvist, with the person who plays Lundqvist threatening to kill his daughter because it ruined their ‘storyline’.

Agreed ken at clinchers. Same for cally as he is often injured and has not played enough to earn spot. But he fills a certain role and is tough and fast. So I understand his selection. But Nash and Step are ???

The Penguins announcers are the worst by far. They actually sound like dudes I would _still_ hate even if they weren’t blatantly smack talking against my favorite team. Aikman and Buck are probably decent humans, even if annoying ones

Wickey – glad you agree. Hockey is a game played by men. They are tough dudes. It’s a rough game. You need boys on the team that fight back and take no Carcillo from anyone. Next, bring up Bickel and Haley….and that’s a great 4th line.

Hockey’s Future has NYR at 27th, with CAR, NJD, and PHI behind them. WSH is at 25th. Bodes well for the Metropolitan division, doesn’t it?

Maybe NYR should try to tap into a less scouted prospect pool like DEN, NOR, GER, LAT, etc. I think SJS has had some success with German draft picks over the years, and I think VAN has recently taken several Danes. Extensive knowledge of one or some of those prospect pools could make a difference; might even be able to take a real good prospect late in the draft simply because other teams are unaware of them. I understand you want to have your scouts watching teams in CAN, USA, SWE, RUS, etc. as well, but Central Scouting and even TSN figure those guys out pretty well.

Papa, and others, McKenzie made it clear that the “guess” team he tweeted wasn’t necessarily who he thought should be on the team, but rather who he thinks will be on the team. He has a pretty good idea what’s going on up there. He’s probably going to be about 90+ percent right with his “guesses.”

Wick, how bout he makes it, goes pver to Sochi with the team and doesn’t dress for a game? That should piss him off even more, but then again, Nash is wired differently than most, he might not get angry.

I was on the fence re: Gnash trade. I didn’t want Dubi to go. Would have preferred Hags and Artie once consummated. However, in hindsight, the trade was, as my lil angel would say, not good. If he can be moved, I’d do it.

Excellent write up Carp! I have said for a while that you can’t just give DelZ away. You hang on to him and then deal him at the deadline if you have no intention of resigning him after this season.

Also, there is Pittsburgh, Boston, and the rest of the East. We are in the lesser of all four divisions, and the lesser of the two in the East, but After Pittsburgh and Boston, it really is mediocrity.

Eddies take on a trade with Chicago was greaaat . Olga looked like a weasle ( drunk skunk) being poked in the cage by Eddie3 . Nice work Eddie3!!!

Olga said Hawks over Rangers ….I’ll take that bet goofy and the Game tommorow ..RANGERS win , Brassard gets a Hatty and the broadway hat.

Oh yeah Chicago have been losers for the last 30 YEARS , anddd finally they win some cups and now there better then the Rangers? There Jesrey is more sacret then our beloved Rangers!!!!!????? Now im mad!!!!!!!!